Guides, tips and insights for UK therapists in private practice.
Practice guides and templates
Step-by-step guides, checklists and templates for running a UK private practice.
If you would rather AI did not write your clinical records, what is actually available, and where AI is still involved even when it is not obvious.
September 2026
Data location, ICO registration, whether it records the session, audit trails and what to ignore. The criteria that actually matter, applied to us as well as everyone else.
August 2026
Many AI note tools transcribe the session itself. If a recording device in the room does not sit right with you, you can summarise afterwards instead. Here is what that changes.
August 2026
Almost every therapist has been here. How to clear a backlog properly, what to write when you cannot remember the session, and why backdating is the one thing not to do.
August 2026
Insurance, the ICO fee, supervision, contracts, records and tax: the practical setup nobody covers in training, in roughly the order it needs doing.
August 2026
Supervision, CPD, room hire, insurance and the things people miss. What UK therapists can normally claim against tax, and where the genuine grey areas are.
August 2026
BACP normally expect 30 hours a year. UKCP require 250 across five years. The requirements differ more than most summaries admit, including whether supervision counts towards your total.
July 2026
BACP say no. UKCP may allow it. The answer differs by professional body, and assuming wrongly can leave you short at audit. What each body says.
July 2026
AI notes as the core product vs an add-on, GBP pricing, booking and practice management, and which fits depending on what you need.
July 2026
Placement hour and supervision requirements for trainee counsellors, and how to build good record-keeping habits from day one.
July 2026
What to include in supervision notes, supervision hour requirements for trainees and qualified practitioners, a worked example, and how to keep records efficiently.
July 2026
Full practice management platforms versus specialist AI notes tools: what matters and how to choose.
July 2026
Data and GDPR questions, GBP pricing, session recording, analytics, and which suits your practice.
July 2026
Data and UK GDPR questions, GBP vs USD pricing, session recording, formats and analytics.
July 2026
What to include in each section, a worked example, UK GDPR and record keeping, and how to write SOAP notes faster.
June 2026
Retention, UK GDPR, secure storage, subject access requests, AI notes, and what happens to records when you close your practice.
June 2026
SOAP, DAP, BIRP and EMDR note templates to copy, with guidance on which format suits which approach.
June 2026
Managing private practice admin: notes, invoicing, scheduling, client management and UK GDPR.
June 2026
What BIRP notes are, when to use them, how to write each section, BIRP examples for CBT, and how AI can help.
June 2026
What DAP notes are, how to write each section, examples, DAP vs SOAP, and how AI can help.
June 2026
What to include on a therapy invoice, VAT for counsellors and psychologists, late payment, record keeping and tools for UK private practice.
June 2026
Target memory, SUD and VOC ratings, cognitions, processing, body scan and closure, with a template you can copy.
June 2026
How to write CBT session notes covering automatic thoughts, interventions, homework and outcome tracking.
June 2026
Formats, what to include, UK GDPR, record keeping and how AI can help.
June 2026
SimplePractice is built for US practice. UK alternatives for AI notes and practice management compared.
June 2026
How AutoNotes and NoteSono compare for UK therapists: where data is held, what to ask about UK GDPR, workflow and pricing.
June 2026
What UK counsellors need from an AI notes tool, the common formats, and how a post-session summary workflow works.
June 2026
NoteSono, Heidi, Upheal, Mentalyc, WriteUpp, Jane and AutoNotes compared on data location, recording, free options and pricing.
May 2026
Recording vs post-session summaries, data and GDPR questions, formats and GBP pricing for UK private practice.
May 2026
Data and UK GDPR questions, recording vs post-session summaries, formats and GBP vs USD pricing.
May 2026
BACP hasn't issued AI-specific guidance. How its Ethical Framework, record keeping expectations and UK GDPR apply when you use AI.
May 2026
Where data is stored and processed, your privacy notice, the DPA, lawful basis and the ICO fee.
May 2026
How long to keep client notes: what BACP says, limitation periods, client rights and secure disposal.
April 2026
Recording vs summary tools, transfers outside the UK, what to ask a vendor, and what to tell clients.
April 2026
A free consent clause for therapists who use AI to write notes. Copy it into your contract and adapt it.
April 2026
BACP hasn't issued AI-specific guidance. How its Ethical Framework applies to AI notes: transparency, accuracy and confidentiality.
April 2026
The ICO fee, lawful basis, privacy notices, where data is stored and processed, and client rights.
April 2026
Practical ways to cut weekly admin, from note-taking strategies to voice-to-note tools built for therapists.
April 2026
An introduction to BIRP notes (Behaviour, Intervention, Response, Plan) and when this format is the best choice.
April 2026
The differences between DAP and SOAP, worked examples of each, and which suits different approaches.
April 2026
What each section should contain, worked examples, common mistakes, and record keeping.
April 2026